Mum & Dad

I recently had the dis/pleasure of watching MUM & DAD, the 2008 British release from Director Steven Sheil. This movie is dark, gory and uncomfortable to watch at times which only add to the intensity of the film.

The plot follows Lena, a Polish immigrant who works as a cleaning lady at an airport with the talkative Birdie and her shy brother Elbie. One night Lena misses her bus home and Birdie offers to take Lena home to her house. Shortly after arriving Lena is knocked unconscious and given an injection in the throat. Lena wakes to a woman screaming and discovers that she is chained to a bed and unable to talk. This is where we first meet Mum & Dad. Mum enters and tells Lena stay calm, that getting upset excites Dad, who is covered in blood and breathing heavy. Mum tells Lena that as long as she is with her, Dad won't hurt her. Lena is injected with something to put her to sleep and when she wakes she is tied to a frame and Mum begins to "play" with her by carving into her skin.

On our first real introduction to Dad Lena is escorted by the family into his playroom. He has his back to them while masturbating and it's not until he's finished that we see he was using more than his favorite hand. He tells Lena that she may belong to Mum but that this is his house and his rules and if she fails to make Mum happy she will have to deal with him.

Our next scene has Lena joining the family for breakfast, which seems pretty normal except for the porno on the t.v. and Birdie placing her stolen goods into a cookie jar.

This film is disturbing on many levels. Elbie and Birdie are Mum & Dad's adoptive "children" yet they seem ready to follow in their "parent's" footsteps. There are blatant overtones of cannibalism, incest, and necrophilia. And a demented Christmas scene that might actually be normally dysfunctional save then decorations and the gifts. In this scene we also get the back story on Mum & Dad's biological child referred to as "the Spastic."

This film leaves you on the edge of your seat hoping that Lena will escape, cringing at the various acts and antic of this family. When it finally all comes to a head I can only think to compare it too the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre without the twirling killer. tension is built by the lack of any music and the only background noise is the sound of passing planes and a heavy electrical hum which only add to making us feel Lena's desolation and terror.

This film is not for the faint of heart. If the torture porn genre doesn't appeal to you leave this one on the shelf.